Initial and means for connecting the same to handbag frames



June 6, 1933. R. LOB'EL 1,912,852

INITIAL AND MEANS FOR CONNECTING THE SAME TO HANDBAG FRAMES Filed! March 28, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet l 3 2 fizzy :BY ATTORNEY June 6, 1933. LQBEL 1,912,852

INITIAL AND MEANS FOR CONNECTING THE SAME TO HANDBAG FRAMES F i1ed March 28, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented June 6, 1933 UNITEDQSTATES PATENT OFFICE RUDOLPH LOBEL, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR 1'0 GRACELTNE H ANDBAGS, INC., OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK INITIAL AND MEANS FOR CONNECTING THE SAME '10v HANDBAG FRAMES Application-filed March 28, 1933. Serial No. 663,112.

This invention relates to devices including initials and means for connecting the to the frame or other portion therein in an improved arrangement; and said initials may also be considered as being in the nature of handles or ornamental plates.

Another object of the invention is to furnish an improved device of the nature set forth having relatively few and simple parts and which is inexpensive to manufacture, convenient, durable, reliable, and efficient in use and neat in appearance.

Other objects and advantages of the nvention will become apparent as the SHBClfication proceeds.

With the aforesaid ob ects in View, the

invention consists in the novel combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described in their preferred embodiments, pointed out in the subjoined claims, and llustratcd on the annexed drawings, wherein like parts are designated by the same reference characters throughout the several views.

In the drawings:

Figure l'is a fragmentary view inside elevation of a device in locked position, embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of a portion of the same.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken on line 33 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is atop plan view of a guide channeled holding means.

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a view in side elevation of a plate or initial.

Fig. 7 is an edge View thereof.

Fig. 8 is a view in side elevation of the thereof with in section.

Figs. 11 and 12 are vertical sectional views taken on lines 11-11 and 12--12, respectively, of Fig. 10. i v

Fig. 13 is a vertical sectional view showing a modification of the invention.

The advantages of the invention as here outlined are best realized when all of its features and instrumentalities are combined 'in one and the same structure, but, useful parts removed and other parts devices may be produced embodying less than the whole.

It will .be obvious to those skilled in the art to which this appertains, that the same may be incorporated in several different constructions. The accompanying drawings, therefore, is submitted merely as showing :he preferred exemplification of the invenion.

Referring in detail to the drawings, 15 denotes any handbag, having suitable longitudinal frame members such as channels 16, 17 adaptedto receive the fabric 18 of the handbag body, and movable toward and away from each other for closing and opening the handbag. A well known fastening means may be provided between the members: thus the member 16 may have a guide rail 19 connected thereto along which is slidable a locking element 20 adapted to engage and release a tongue 21 of the member 17, according to the principle of U. S. Letters Patents to Nos. 1,623,610 and 1,864,551. Extending along and connected to the element 20, is a suitable guide channel 22, having a ing continuous marginal inturned lips 26.

The ends 27 of thecha-nnel may be open, and may have tabs 28 integrally connected to the side walls 25. Intermediate of the ends of the channel, a spacer or reenforcement is provided such as a strip of metal 29 lying transversely within the channel and interconnecting the lips 26 as by being soldered thereto to hold the same and the side walls in roper spaced relation. If desired, a res' ient spacer 30, of rubber, or the like, may lie within the channel underneath the strip 29.

Ornamental handles or plates such as 31 may be formed as with openings extending therethrough to constitute initials or other indicia 32, these openings extending to the edge of certain of the plates, as at 33. Said initials may have integral base holder strips 34 that may be formed with parallel grooves 35 on opposite faces thereof, and the lower edge of said strips may be shaped or curved as at 36 to conform to the back 23, and preferably to contact the same along edges 37. If desired, the strip 34 may be undercut at 38 as shown.

In use, the initials 31 are chosen to suit the purchaser of the handbag, and are separately slidingly inserted into the channel from opposite ends thereof. Then the tabs 28 are mfolded to retain the initials. The elements 29, 30 properly snugly space the initials, and the strip 29 holds the walls 25 against accidental spreading. For manipulating the locking member 20, the initials constitute a hande and move therewith.

In Figs. 9 to 12 is shown a modification of the invention including a plurality of longitudinal frame members 40, 41 that may be channeled or otherwise arranged for engaging the handbag fabric 42. Mounted to extend above and parallel to said members is a locking element 43 which may be of tubular or channeled shape, and having a downward facing lon itudinal opening 44. For movably connecting said element to one of the frame members, a resilient plate 45 may be connected to one of the members, as at 46, and may have a bowed or curved portion 47 disposed and concealed within the element 43 and connected thereto as at 48. In this manner, the element 43, which is adapted to engage a tongue 49 of the companion frame member is easily laterally swingable by deformation of the spring 45 to permit opening and closing of the handbag.

Extending along and secured to the top of the element 43, is a resilient guide channel 50 having side walls 51 and inturned continuous marginal lips 52, which also extend downwardly. The lower or backpart of the channel may have reverse or ogee transverse curve portions 53 between the side walls 51 and the center line thereof to afford resilience to the channel. Openings 54 may be formed along the back of the channel between portions 53, through which openings and the top of the channel, the same may be soldered to the element 43 as at 55, in spaced relation to the sides of the channel. The opposite ends of the latter may be fully open as at 56 and intermediate of said ends, a

of the channel, tits 60 may be upwardly struck in the back 58.

The plates or initials 31a may be the same as the initials 31 hereinbefore described, except as follows. Said plates are provided with central recesses 61 for engagement with the strong resilient tongues 59 for permancnt or releasable attachment with the plates 31, whereby the end tabs 28 may be omitted. As thus arranged, the plates 31 are interchangeably slidably received in either end portion of the channel. The resilient lugs 57a bear endwise against the plates to assure rigidity thereof, and the lower edges ofthe plates, which may be square, may ride with clearance over the back 58 and along the tits 60 for pressing downward on the back near the ends of the channel so as to tend to deform the same in such manner as to cause a movement of the flanges 51 toward each other for snugly gripping the plates therebetwecn.

If the use of the plates or initials 31a is not desired, plain strips 31?) may be inserted in the channels 22 or 50 as shown in Fig. 12, which strips may coact with the channels as above described.

In Fig. 13 is shown a modification of the invention wherein a plate or strip 310 may have an internal groove 65 of key hole shape in cross section, communicating at its small end with the lower edge of the plate. A guide means may slidingly engage in said groove, which guide means, may, for example, include a pair of longitudinal channel members 66, having backs 67, and inner and outer flanges 68, 69 respectively, the former having outwardly turned longitudinal lips 70. The flanges 68 and lips 70 engage in the groove 65 to hold the plate 310, and the channels 66 may be interconnected at their lower edge as by solder at 71, whereby the guide means possesses a degree of resilience, the lips 70 being springable toward each other by the walls of the groove 65. The plate 13 may thus be frictionally retained in place on the guide means.

The plates 31, 31a, 31b, and 310 may be made of metal, composition or other material. They are relatively thick and overlie the frame members and are disposed in the plane thereof.

It will be appreciated that various changes and modifications may be made in the device as shown in the drawings, and that the same are submitted in an illustrative and not in a limiting sense, the scope of the invention being defined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. In combination with a bag frame having a longitudinal member, of an elongated holder element secured to the frame member and extending therealong, and a handle element for the frame member consisting of a plate having openings cut therethrough to the margin of the plate to form an initial, one of,said elements having a groove extending therealong and the other element having means for slidingly engagingln said groove, the grooved engagement being parallel to the holder element and located at the lower end of the initial, and the latter being otherwise free of the holder element and said handle.

2-. In combination with a bag frame having a longitudinal frame member, of a handle for the frame member, said handle consisting of a plate having openings out therethrough to the margin thereof to form a letter, said handle having an integral longitudinal base strip extending along the frame member, and guide means for continuously securing said base strip to said frame member.

3. In combination with a handbag frame having a plurality of longitudinal frame members movable toward and away from each other for closing and opening the handbag frame, of an elongated handle guide secured to one of the frame members and extending therealong so as to overlie the upper edges of both frame members in the closed position thereof, and a handle for one of the frame members consisting of a relatively thick plate having openings cut therethrough and extending to the margin of the plate to form an initial, the latter having a continuous integral longitudinal base strip extending along and in parallelism to said frame member, said handle guide continuously connecting said base strip to said frame member, said initial lying in the plane of and overlying both frame members in the closed position thereof, and said initial being otherwise free of said handle guide andsaid frame members.

4. In combination with a handbag frame having a plurality of longitudinal frame members movable toward and away from each other for closing and opening the handbag frame, a plurality of initial forming plates, a single longitudinal guide means for securing said plates to one of the frame members so that said plates overlie the frame members in the closed position thereof and are disposed in the plane of the frame members, and means for maintaining the plates in spaced endwise relation to each other.

5. In combination with a handbag frame transverse partition element therein intermediate the ends thereof, a plurality of initial forming plates having lower grooved portions, said channel having the side flanges thereof provided with inturned lips, said plates being received in said channel through the opposite open ends thereof with said lips engaging said grooved portions and with said partition spacing the adjacent ends of the plates from each other, and the channels having means for securing the plates in the channel.

6. In combination with a handbag having a longitudinal frame member, of an elongated channel guide having inturned edges, a plurality of plates receivable in said guide and having grooves on the opposite sides thereof for engaging said inturned edges and means for separately engaging and maintaining said plates in said guide.

7'. In combination with an elongated handbag frame, of a guide channel connected thereto having side walls, and continuous inturned lips along the edges of the side walls, and a plate having grooves for engaging said lips, said plate having snug seating engagement between said walls and said lips, and means for releasably retaining said plate in engagement with said channel.

8. In combination with an elongated handbag frame, of a guide channel connected thereto, said channel having a back, side flanges, inturned lips along the edges of said flanges, a plurality of plates each having grooves on opposite sides thereof extending to the edges of the plate, said plates having sliding seat engagement with the inner faces of said flanges and said lips engaging in said grooves, said plates having portions extending out of and beyond said guide channel, means adjacent to the guide channel for maintaining said plate portions in spaced end to end relation, and means for releasably retaining the plates in the guide channel.

9. In combination with an elongated handbag frame member, of a one piece guide channel connected thereto, said guide ehannel having open ends and continuous inturned marginal lips extending from end to end thereof, a partition element midway between the ends of the channel and interconnecting the flanges thereof and holding the same in predetermined spaced relation, a plurality of grooved plates snugly slidable into the channel from opposite ends thereof with said lips engaging in the grooves, said partition spacing the inner ends of said plates from each other, and the outer ends of the plates being in coincidence with the outer ends of the channel.

10. In combination with an elongated handbag frame, of a channeled guide connected thereto having inturned marginal lips, a plurality of plates having grooved lower end portions slidably receivable in said uide and engageable with said lips, means or releasably maintaining said plates in engagement with said guide, and resilient spacor means in said guide between said lates.

11. In combination with an e ongated handbag frame, of a channeled guide having side flanges and inturned marginal lips, said channeled guide having opposite open ends, pl'ates having lower grooved portions slidably received in said channeled guide in engagement with said lips, reenforcement means interconnecting the flanges of the channeled guides and spacing said plates from each other, and integra tabs on the ends of the side flanges to retain said plates in engagement with said channeled guide, said tabs being bent at an angle to the latter. 12. In combination with an elongated handbag frame, of a guidechannel having lips, a plate having a portion slidable in said guide in engagement with said lips, the guide channel having its back provided with a resilient tongue, said portion of the plate having means for engaging said tongue to retain the plate in engagement with the guide channel, and said back being connected to said frame member.

13. In combination with a handbag frame having an elongated frame member, of a guide channel connected thereto, said channel having continuous marginal lips bent toward the back of the channel, a plate having a lower portion slidably engageable in said channel and having opposite grooves for engaging said lips, and means integral with said channel for releasabl retaining said plate in engagement with said channel.

14. In combination with a handbag frame having an elongated frame member, of a sheet metal guide channel having inturned marginal lips, a plate slidingly received in said channel and having grooves for engaging said lips, and means for securing said channel to the frame member, said means being connected with the back of the channel along the longitudinal center line thereof and in spaced relation to the side flanges of the channel.

15. In combination with a handbag frame having an elongated frame member, of a sheet metal guide channel having inturned marginal lips, a plate slidingly received in said channel and having grooves for engaging said lips, and means for securing said channel to the frame member, said means being connected with the back of the channel along the longitudinal center line thereof and in spaced relation to the side flanges of the channel, and said channel having resilient curved portions between the line of connection and the side flanges of the channel.

16. In combination with a handbag frame having an elongated frame member, of a resilient sheet metal guide channel connected RUDOLPH LOBEL. 

